Machine eor feeding paper to pr



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID BALDVIN, OF GODVVINVILLE, NENV JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING PAPER TO PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,168, dated December 9, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dnvin BALDWIN, of Godwinville, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeding Paper or other Material to be Printed to and from or through Printing Presses or Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and e-Xact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a top view or plan of a paper folding and feeding apparatus in connection with a cylinder printing press or rat-her the cylinder portion thereof: Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, a portion of the frame being removed: Fig. 3 a longitudinal vertical section thereof in part; and Fig. et a similar view of the same but showing the feeding and folding devices in different positions: Fig. 5 a side elevation of certain folding mechanism in its open position, detached; and Fig. 6 a similar view of the same, closed: Fig. 7 an inverted plan of an upper folding jaw, detached.

Numerous ditculties have presented themselves in feeding automatically thin sheets of paper to printing presses separately or one at a time from a pile of sheets; such as in the slipping of the sheet out of register during the feed, the sticking of two or more sheets together and so forth.

My improvement has for its object the removal of these difficulties and the obtainment of a more easy, certain, regular and perfect feed than has yet been accomplished, and here it may be observed that as my improvement involves a new method or process of feeding by the employment of what may be termed lap-folded paper, a general description in thisl will only be given of many of the details or mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings as the construction, arrangement and operation of these will be self evident to every mechanic and they may be almost infinitely varied without departing from the character or distinguishing fea-tures of my invention, and as I do not restrict myself to these, to more elaborately describe them would appear both injudicious and produce unnecessary confusion.

To elucidate my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, suppose a pile of sheets (a) of paper to be arranged on a feeding table (A) ready to be fed to a cylinder (B) of a printing press. These sheets, contrary to previous custom, are not straight or iattened out throughout all their length or width, but, by my method of operation, before being fed to be printed it is absolutely essential that each sheet should be what I term lap-folded, that is when fed by the mechanical feeder or its equivale-nt as will be hereinafter described, otherwise a single or the first feed of the sheets (designed to be printed on both sides or fed twice) may be done without the fold, by hand or in any convenient manner and the fold given each sheet for its second passage only as will be apparent from the after description. If the paper is intended for printing at the time of its-manufacture or being cut into sheets, I propose the attachment to the machinery used in suoli manufacture of it, of lap folding apparatus whereby the first feeding by hand may be dispensed with. `Where the sheets are not designed to pass more than once through the printing press, the paper should be lapfolded before being brought to the feeder and no lap folding apparatus in immediate connection and for joint operation with the feeder is requisite but such lap folding may be done by hand or in any desired manner, previously, as just stated. But where the paper is required to be fed twice through the press, then it is necessary that the feeding and a lap-folding apparatus should be arranged to work in immediate connection, substantially as in the arrangement represented in the accompanying drawings which is designed for working sheets t-o be fed twice through the press, and I have selected this arrangement to elucidate my invention as in showing the action of.e the double feed it necessarily includes a single one, the lapfold being similar in both for action by the feeder.

The lap-fold given the sheet may be somewhat varied, conlined to the corners of the sheet or be only made partially across it, but, to illustrate,-and without the fold the feeder is inoperative-supposing the sheets to be first lap folded for their first passage through the press by doubling or turning what may be called the advance edge of the sheet for a given width over or on the main surface of the sheet, I arrange these folded sheets one upon the other on the table (A),

-the fold or lap of one sheet being under the fold or lap of its next upper sheet and so on, the opening portion of the lap being toward the back, and what forms the hinge or closed portion of the lap being forward, and the whole resting on the feed table, with the hinge portion of the several folds, for the several sheets, being made to butt up or rest against a register strip (b) in front or adjoining the cylinder of the press. The pile of sheets being thus arranged on the feed table as represented in Fig. 4, the feed of the top sheet of the pile to the pressure cylinder (B) is produced by opening or spreading the lap or fold of said top sheet and thereby causing it to project beyond the succeeding or under sheets when it may be gripped and fed without any liability of its taking up or carrying along with it any of the under sheets, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3. The top sheet may thus be spread out by a cylinder-brush or other revolving device or it may be done by a different action an instance of which is shown in the drawings wherein a spreading bar (C) extending across the pile and situated above it is brought down to bear upon the paper as shown in Fig. 4 and is moved forward as represented in Fig. 3, spreading out and unfolding the lap in the sheet over the top of the front register strip (b) and carrying it on to the pressure cylinder (A) when it is gripped by clamps (CD-see Fig. 3-connected with saiclcylinder to be carried around with it as well understood in the action of cylinder presses. The spreader (C), after having spread out the sheet, rises and retires in such raised position, (see Fig. 2) so as not to strain on or carry the sheet back with it, and said spreader thus lowers and advances, rises and retires at suit-able intervals to feed each sheet in succession to the cylinder. This spreader may be thus operated by a rock shaft (c) through arms (f) and levers (g) driven by crank (It) and connecting rod to give the spreader its reciprocating action, while a spring appliance connected with a retention bar, operating together with the spreader, insures to the spreader its appropriate rise and fall and pressure on the sheet when advancing. 1t is originally intended that the retention bar shall hold the sheet in position until the spreader shall enter the lap up to the line of fold and then release the sheet until the spreader shall carry the sheet to a given point by means of the fold when the retention bar shall again stop the sheet while the spreader moves on and straightens out the lap; by which double action the sheets are squared or registered; but assuming the sheets to lie in register position the action of the retention bar may be less frequent and only as so operating it will here be Ininutely described. The retention bar (D) holds the sheet in position by bearing down on the pile while the spreader advances as specified and, if required, while a metal blade or other device passes between the sheets to separate them. In Fig. 2, the retention bar (D) is shown in its raised position, and in Figs. 3 and 4 in its lowered position bearing down with a spring pressure on the paper; it is shown as connected with a back rock shaft (j) which carries an arm (7c) that by means of a rod (l) and spring (m) connected with it and an arm (a) against which an irregular cam (0) on the pressure cylinder shaft operates, causes the retention bar (D) to be borne down on the pile while or before the spreader begins to operate and to abruptly rise and iiy up from pressure on the paper after the spreader has performed its work, the retention bar in rising carrying up the spreader along with it, a rod (p) connecting the spreader with the retention bar to insure their joint operation as specified and giving a. certain amount of spring pressure to the spreader on the paper. This retension bar however may be arranged to work separately from the spreader and many equivalents for it may be adopted, and here it is surmised that this description has been sufficiently explicit to explain the novel manner in which the paper is fed to the press by means of flap folded paper and it is only requisite now to refer generally to an arrangement for giving the fold, or folds, to the sheet, as the case may be, after the sheet has been printed say on the one side and is required to be passed again through the press for printing on the opposite side, the arrangement of apparatus shown in the drawings being adapted to this.

The sheet after being carried around with the pressure cylinder (B), and guided and kept in place thereon, is finally delivered between two or more pairs of rollers (g) driven by the cylinder, and, as the sheet passes out between these rollers, a pair of lapping jaws advance and striking a stop (1"), as shown in Fig. 3 are made to close at the proper moment and crimp and hold the sheet by a spring pressure as represented in Fig. 6. This crimping or upsetting is preparatory to the sheet being again lap-folded, and the action of the jaws, as shown, is such as to insure the crimping of the sheet at or near the crease of its iirst fold and in a reverse direction to said first fold in order to prepare the sheet with a lap fold to be fed as before to the cylinder to receive the impression of the form upon its opposite side. To effect this, the jaws (E), which are mounted upon a carriage that has an alternate advance and receding mot-ion upon horizontal parallel ways, is, as just described, caused to advance to the delivery rollers in an open position (see Fig. 3) as the sheet is passing between said rollers, the advancing end of the sheet being borne up by a table so as to insure its passage between the jaws. )While the jaws are thus advancing and the sheet also between them until the latter has pro truded beyond the jaws the required distance (which is about equal to the lapfold), a fixed arm or stop (r) on the frame depresses a spring dog (r) which releases a pin (s) on the end of the upper jaw and allows it to be forced down by a spring (r2) one end of which is attached to the opposite end of the jaw and the other to the carriage as shown in Fig. 5. The sheet is thus clamped between the jaws with its end crimped or upset between the vertical back of the lower' and the rear edge of the upper jaw, as shown in Fig. 6. The motion of the carriage and jaws is then reversed, carrying the crimped sheet with them, the rocking arm (g) which operates the feeder giving, by a rod or rods (.S), the jaw carriage its proper relative reciprocating action to or with the feeder, thus insuring the timely actie-n of the two. As the jaws approach the limit of their receding motion they pass under a depresser (F) and gradually raise it to depress the sheet till standing at an angle overthe upper jaw as seen in Fig. Ll. This depresser (F) is mounted by arms upon a horizontal rod e) so as to rise and fall with a hinge movement. Simultaneously with this motion of the depresser, as the jaws approach the limit of their receding motion, the top jaw is caused to open and rise up by means of a curved arm (b) on one end of the jaw striking against the horizontal rod (e) which bearing said arm down turns the jaw on its bearings and thus elevates it and the depresser (F) of necessity, as described, rises with it. The motion of the depresser and jaw rising upward while the latter is passing beneath the former, it will be seen, causes the depresser to bend the upset end of the sheet over the jaw and thus the sheet is brought up with the rising motion of the jaw. )While this combined action is going on, the jaw in rising causes the catch or pin (s) on its end to move over the spring dog (1") until it drops into its notch, as represented in Fig. 4t, and thus the aw is held open ready to advance to receive another sheet. Simultaneously with the rising of the jaws and depresser, and before the jaws again advance, the depresser in rising releases a pair of nippers (G) which spring around and grip the sheet as it comes within their reach and catch and hold the lapped end of the sheet against the under side of the depresser, when the jaws advance in their open position for another sheet, leaving the one thus held by the nippers behind. The nippers (Gr) are hung on or attached to a shaft (0) carried by the arms (o2) which connect the depresser with its shaft (64'). On the nipper shaft (0) is a locking eccentric stop (u) into which gears or locks the one arm of a double dog (c3), as shown in Fig. 2; a stop 0r hook (c4) attached to the depresser shaft (a) holding or bearing down on the other arm of the double dog (c3) and a spring (c5) attached to the depresser bearing down on the other arm of the dog to keep the latter in gear with the cam stop (u). A spring (x), coiled around the nipper shaft and attached at one end to it and at the other end to the depresser, gives to the nippers their elastic grip when holding the sheet and springs them to their bite of it as represented in Fig. 4.

The nippers (G) are released, at the proper time as specified, to eiect the grip, by the depresser in rising causing the double dog (03) to be tripped or unlocked from,

gear with the cam or eccentric stop (u) by the back arm of the double dog bearing as it rises against the stop (04) attached to the depresser shaft which shaft (a) is stationary the arms that carry the depresser being looselyT hung thereon. As the double dog is thus unlocked from the eccentric stop (u) by the turning of said dog on its own axis, the nipper shaft, by the action of the spring (x) springs around and with it the nippers (G) to grip the sheet, as in Fig. 4f, the aw being notched to admit of the nippers working through it. Upon the sheet being thus grasped by the nippers against the depresser, the jaws as before stated, advance to fetch another sheet and the depresser, being left unsupported by the aws and freely hung on its shaft so as to drop of its own weight, falls carrying the sheet along with it and deposits the sheet in register order with the lap-fold given it on a receiving table (I) beneath, and so on for each sheet in succession, until forming a pile if desired, with the suitable fold given them to receive the impression on their opposite sides on transferring them to the feed table above. The nippers (Gr) arel withdrawn from their grip, as the depresser lowers or presses down the lapped sheet on to the receiving table, by a cam M) on the pressure cylinder shaft acting against a lever (N) which by a rod (F) and arm (P) rocks or moves, at the required time, a tubular shaft on or surrounding freely the depresser shaft, this tubular shaft carrying another arm (R) which by rod is connected with an arm on the nipper shaft and fast to it, and so the nipper shaft is turned back and the nippers released from their grip on the sheet; and as the nipper shaft is thus turned back, its eccentric stop (u) is turned with it and the double dog (03) shot into gear or lock, by its spring (c5) with said stop (u), and thus the nippers held open VYuntil the rising of the depresser, on the jaws transferring ano-ther sheet to the latter, again releases said nippers and causes them to close on t-he sheet in manner described. rl`he depresser continuesto bear down on the folded sheet, to keep it in place and press the lap, until the jaws return, in their back action, to raise the depresser.

To this particular description of lap-folding apparatus I do not confine myself, and it, as Well as the feeding'devices, admit of various modifications, as preference may suggest or the character of the Work require, Without departing from the character of my invention, also the driving or operating gear may be similarly varied, but the importance of attaching a suitable lap folding apparatus to Work in' connection With the feeding apparatus in such machines as require the sheet to be fed a second time, will be apparent, and a sufficiently minute description Vof details has here been given to enable mechanics engaged in the construetion of similar machinery to make and use my invention.

The construction, arrangement and operation, mode of hanging and so forth of the feed and receiving tables to provide for the varying height of the pile of sheets and to meet other requirements, as Well as other matter or detail represented in the accompanying drawings, being, at least many of them or their equivalents, common to other feeding arrangements or being distinct from what I here claim, I shall not particularly or more minutely noW refer to them.

What I here claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isfe l. The method herein described of feeding paper or other flexible material to printing presses and other machines which require the feed of a single sheet at a time or separate feed of the sheets from a pile or number of sheets, by giving to or forming the sheet or sheets with a lap or fold or folds and establishing the feed of said sheets by means of a drawing or spreading out bar, or its equivalent, acting Within or against the fold or folds ofthe sheets to effect their separat-ion and extension With certainty and despatch essentially as set forth.

2. And I further claim the employment of lap folded paper or other material in sheets, in such machines, when the fold or folds are made the means, by any suitable mechanical appliances, of effecting the ready separation and feed of the sheets.

8. I likewise claim, When combined for .operation together with an automatic feed of the lap folded sheets, a lap folding apparatus operating in manner described, or any other equivalent Way, to fold the sheet, after its delivery from the first feed or passage through the machine, for a second passage therethrough by said feed acting against the fold or lap, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

DAVID BALDWIN. Witnesses:

JOSEPH BALDWIN, JAMES BARTOW. 

